This blog runs on MySQL, and I like Jonathan Schwartz’s vision of the Participation Age, so I’m very happy to hear Sun Microsystems has acquired MySQL for a billion dollars.

…in addition to acquiring MySQL, Sun will be unveiling new global support offerings into the MySQL marketplace. We’ll be investing in both the community, and the marketplace – to accelerate the industry’s phase change away from proprietary technology to the new world of open web platforms.

The good news is Sun is already committed to the business model at the heart of MySQL’s success – first investing to grow communities of users and developers, and only then creating commercial services that attract (rather than lock in) paying customers. Over the past few years, we’ve distributed hundreds of millions of licenses and invested to build some of the free software world’s largest communities.

I love how his announcement takes not-so-subtle potshots at Microsoft’s outdated business model. MS SQL Server still clings to enterprise markets, but that will change with Sun providing enterprise support for MySQL. FLOSS FTW.